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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Acute Sciatic Pain In Lower Back And Leg, Numbness With Pins And Needles In Toes. MRI Scan Needed?

hi my name is jenny i have acute sciatic in my lower back and in my right leg shooting pain down my right leg and numbness and pins and needles in my toes . iam on pain killers for the last 4 days and no improvment and sleeping is impossible as i am in so much pain and have heat patches on my lower back .is their anything you can recomand to stop the pain as i dont think i can put up with it much longer . do you know how long this pain will go on for . is a MRI scan a necessery
Wed, 7 Aug 2013
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Welcome to Health care magic.It would be prudent to get a MRI scan imaging of the lumbosacral spine which will reveal any compression of spinal nerve roots or stenosis which may be causing the symptoms.We have been using Pregabalin or gabapentin in neurogenic pain along with strong analgesics like tramadol.In some cases oral steroids have reduced the oedema of the inflamed area of the nerve leading to significant pain relief.You need to see a good neurosurgeon/Orthopaedician who can examine and investigate you and guide you further.
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Orthopaedic Surgeon, Joint Replacement Dr. Saurabh Gupta's  Response
Hi,
Based on your description, this is most probably because of a pinched nerve or lower limb radiculopathy (Sciatica).
Common cause is bulging intervertebral discs in the vertebral column that compress on the nerves as they come out of the spinal cord - symptoms are experienced along the area of distribution / path of that particular nerve.

Here the treatment varies from conservative to surgery. Conservative treatment includes anti-inflammatory medications (pain killers), physical therapy , and avoiding activity that strains the back. Majority of radiculopathy patients respond well to this conservative treatment and symptoms often improve within six weeks to three months.
I would suggest you to see a spine specialist who will take into account severity of your symptoms and if needed advise Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to guide about the treatment.
You can cosult me again directly through my profile http://www.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-saurabh-gupta/64132
Regards

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Acute Sciatic Pain In Lower Back And Leg, Numbness With Pins And Needles In Toes. MRI Scan Needed?

Welcome to Health care magic.It would be prudent to get a MRI scan imaging of the lumbosacral spine which will reveal any compression of spinal nerve roots or stenosis which may be causing the symptoms.We have been using Pregabalin or gabapentin in neurogenic pain along with strong analgesics like tramadol.In some cases oral steroids have reduced the oedema of the inflamed area of the nerve leading to significant pain relief.You need to see a good neurosurgeon/Orthopaedician who can examine and investigate you and guide you further.